Turner, Stott, Clemens homers power Phillies past Rockies
Kody Clemens hits a home run against the Colorado Rockies during the third inning of a game at Citizens Bank Park on April 23, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) ((Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images))
PHILADELPHIA - Trea Turner and Kody Clemens hit solo homers, Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh hit two-run shots and Zack Wheeler struck out 11 to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 9-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.
The Phillies took the final three games of a four-game series and have won six of eight overall as they recover from a slow start.
The NL champions have made strides of late on the strength of their rotation. Wheeler (2-1) survived a rough fourth inning — plunking Yonathan Daza on the hand and allowing three runs — to finish with his 17th career double-digit strikeout game and ninth with the Phillies. Wheeler inducing 23 swings-and-misses over six innings were a season high by a Phillies pitcher.
Another positive sign has been a pickup in the Phillies' power production. One day after Nick Castellanos and Christian Pache hit their first homers of the season, Turner and Clemens broke out of their droughts.
Turner hit his second of the season in the first inning, and first in Philadelphia since the star shortstop signed a $300 million, 11-year contract. Clemens hit a rocket to right in the second, a confidence boost for a first baseman hitting just .063 entering the game. Both homers came off Rockies starter José Ureña (0-4).
Wheeler, making his 200th career start, breezed through most of it despite the fourth inning, when he loaded the bases, then hit Daza. Harold Castro added a sacrifice fly and Ezequiel Tovar lined an RBI single for a 3-2 lead.
J.T. Realmuto tied the game in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI forceout and Alec Bohm made it 4-3 in the same inning on an RBI groundout.
Greg Soto, Jose Alvarado and Luis Ortiz each tossed a scoreless inning in relief.
In the seventh, Bohm added an RBI double and Stott hit his second homer of the season to break the game open for a 7-3 lead. Marsh made it 9-3 in the eighth on his fourth homer of the season.
STARTER STRUGGLES
Ureña allowed four runs, walked four and failed to strike out a batter in 3 2/3 innings. He has allowed two home runs in each of his last four starts. He's also failed to make the fourth inning in three of his starts, and has walked 14 batters in 18 1/3 innings.
HOME CROWD
Philly had another packed house of 44,618 fans, the fifth crowd of at least 43,000 at Citizens Bank Park this season. That surpasses only three regular-season crowds of at least 43,000 during the 2022 season.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rockies: DH Kris Bryant sat out and remained day-to-day with pain in his sacroiliac joint and glute. ... Daza left the game after he was hit and replaced in center field by Castro.
MINOR MOVE
The Phillies recalled RHP Yunior Marte from triple-A Lehigh Valley and optioned LHP Cristopher Sánchez, who started Saturday's game, to Lehigh Valley. Manager Rob Thomson said the Phillies wanted Sánchez to take a regular turn in the rotation in the minors.
UP NEXT
Rockies: Continue their seven-game road trip with three games at Cleveland. The Rockies send LHP Austin Gomber (0-4, 12.12 ERA) to the mound against Indians RHP Cal Quantrill (1-1, 4.15 ERA) on Monday.
Phillies: Open a three-game set against Seattle at home on Tuesday. The Phillies send LHP Bailey Falter (0-3, 4.50 ERA) to the mound, while Seattle's starter is TBD.